Page 125 of Dark Lover

Nick seemed resigned. “I can’t let you do that. The greater good and all. I am sorry, Sam.” He winced as his power sizzled toward her.

Sam cried out, struck hard enough that she fell to her knees. Nick had actually hit her. As she looked up, she saw him standing over her, holding the page, his face grim. “Nick!” she screamed furiously.

He vanished.

“I’ll get him,” Macleod shouted, vanishing, as well.

“Guy,” Tabby protested, but it was too late. Both men were gone.

Sam tried to get up. Claire and Allie rushed to her, but she pushed them away. She was beyond fury now.

Ian was in the hands of that monster and Nick had the page.

She had nothing to trade with.

Allie put her hands on her, sending an instant healing power into her. “All better?” she asked, but her smile contradicted the concern in her eyes.

“No,” Sam said, standing. “I am not better. Someone get me to HCU!” That was when she saw Brie.

Her eyes were wide but sightless. She was holding on to a chair for support. In that instant, Sam knew she was having a vision.

No one moved. They watched as Brie blinked, the color starting to return to her face. Her eyes finally opened. And then she looked at everyone with growing horror.

“He’s back,” she said.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

BRIE HAD NEVER BEEN more shaken. She stood alone in the library, staring at the empty fireplace, urging Aidan to come back to her.

She hadn’t been afraid in so long—not with Aidan as her lover, her husband and her best friend. Not with Moray vanquished.

Sam poked her head into the room. “We’re heading out,” she said tersely, clearly in her warrior mode. She was wearing jeans and heavy biker boots; she held a steel baton in her hand. “I’ll see you in the city. Do you remember the key code to the loft?”

Brie smiled weakly at her. “Of course I do.” On the surface Sam hadn’t changed. She was so stunning and so fierce. She was so brave.

But she was different now. Brie felt it. Sam had opened up her heart again, after almost two decades, and was feeling compassion, empathy and love. Brie had always known this day would come.

“Gotta go, my ride’s waiting.” She started to leave, then paused. “Are you sure Aidan will hear you? He’s on the other side of the ocean.”

“We can communicate across centuries,” she said softly. It was true. She wasn’t a warrior and she would never be one. But her gifts were meant to be used to help him and the Brethren. Brie was honing her abilities to feel and to see. It was a rare day that went by that she did not sense a child’s pain or have a vision of such suffering. Aidan would respond as if it were a 911 call. He’d become adept at searching through the sands of time to find and defend the children she’d seen—there were always clues in her visions. He preferred that she stay at Awe while he did what a Master was meant to do. It was chauvinistic but she knew he was terrified to endanger her—to lose her. He loved her that much.

He never left for long, but they were apart quite often. Centuries could separate them. It didn’t matter. They were always in contact with one another.

Sam nodded and strode away. Macleod and Tabby were waiting in the other room to take her back to New York City.

Brie paced. Aidan, where are you? Come back!

She told herself not to panic. Aidan had so much power now. She had complete faith in him. No man or Master was as strong, as good, as brave. But she was scared. Their life together was almost too good to be true. Once, he’d been her secret fantasy. Now, she had found her other half, and she didn’t want to ever lose him.

He materialized in swirling currents of energy and air, sparking white and gold. He landed standing, breathing hard, his face set against the pain of the leap through time. But it was also set against the pain of losing his son another time.

Brie ran to him and put her arm around him as his hard, muscular body trembled. She waited for the physical pain to recede. When he looked at her, she wanted to cry.

He was the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on. But his perfect features were ravaged with grief and fear. She’d hoped to never see him so anguished again.

They were reliving the past.

He pulled away from her. “Lookin’ fer him in the city is like tryin’ to find a needle in the hay.”